Vehicle



Feb. 27, 1940. E. w LUCAS 2,19l,964

VEHICLE Filed Dec. 30, 1988 Earpe W Lucaf Falenica Feb.27,1940

UNITED-1 STA'TES PATENT' OF F l CEv i .1 i I i 2491,964 o VEHICLE 'Earnie lW. Lucas, Wilson, N. C., assignor of-- forty-five per cent to Troy T. Barnes,l A. C; Hinton, and R. M. Barnes, all of Wilson, N. CL Application December 30, 1938, Serial No. 248,609

" 4 clims. (cl. 280-226) This invention relates to a vehicle 'ofthe type adapted to be driven by power supplied to the wheels by manual eiforts of the rider and more particularly it pertains to a child's toy vehicle which can be driven at relatively high speed With av minimum of effort. o

' Similar devices have been known for some time andhave afforded a great deal ofpleasure and exercise to children. Ordinarily the velocipedes, 'scooters and the like known to the prior art are driven through 'levers, gear trains, chains and sprocket transmissions or the'like by. pedals operated by the feet of the occupant. Steering is ordinarily accomplished by handle bars or some similar deviceV manipulated by the hands. Vehicles of this type give exercise to the leg muscles and the muscles of the hips but the larger muscles of the abdomen and back'are not called into play to any material extent.

Other toy Vehicles areuknown which may be operated by a reciprocating lever adapted to be Workedvby the handsl 'and it is also known to provide a driving means operated from `a rocking platform. `Vehicles of this 'type tend to bring most of the muscles of the body into'` operation for driving but they are u'sually slow moving by reason of the fact that energy to supply locomotion is derived either from the relatively weak 'arm muscles'` or by the force' of 'gravity 'acting by reason of a shift of the body of the occupant.

It is accordingly a primary object of. my invention to lprovide an oc'cupant-propelled vehicle which is4 capable of attaining a maximum speed with a minimum of e'lfort thereby avoiding the above noted difficulties encounteredlin the prior art.`

` It is a'further object hereof to provide'a footsteered vehicle of 'the abovetype having an oscilconsidered in connection with the attached drawv ing, `Wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe vehicle in partial section;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the vehicle ili o lustrated in Figure l';

Figure 3 is 'a partial section thereof 'online 3-3' of Figure 2, illustrating the drive mechanism i'n'detail; and i Fgure 4 is a partial plan view of the forward end of the vehicle showing the mounting for the vsteering device.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the present embodiment of the invention comprises a chassis carrying a member pivotally mounted on the chassis for oscillation in a vertical'plane. The pivot point is positioned in such a manner that thefhips ofV the occupant (body pivot) Will lie very close to and forward of the vehicle pivot point.

Although I have shown a vehicle having three Wheels it is to be understood that the number of Wheels is not controlling and that the principles of this invention may be applied to similar vehicle's having a greater number of Wheels or having three Wheels arranged WithV a single driving wheel at the rear and a pair of steering Wheels at the front thereof.

It Will be seen that the .driving mechanism of my invention cornprisesv an oscillating member Il having a saddle at the rear thereof and a hand grip |2 at its forward portiond The member IO is mountedl on a chassis l3 by means of a pivot |4 positioned under the rear portion of the seat ll. Itvshould be noted that the position of the pivot Ill 'corresponds ratheriaccurately to the porsition of the hip of anoperator seated upon the vehicle. The importance of this feature Will appear as the discussion of the invention proceeds. l`'The oscillating member l carries an arcuate rack l5 adapted 'to mes'h With driving gears on the axes of the drivingrwheels. In its preferred embodiment my invention contemplates two driving Wheels at the rear of the chassis each of said Wheels being mounted on independent parallel shafts suitably journaled in the chassis and carry- 'ing pinions 16 and Il. It will be noted that the pinions are operatively connected to the Wheel shafts by overrunning clutches comprising sleeves |8 and |9 which insure positive forward drive of one shaft no matter what the direction of rotation ofv the meshing pinions, While the other shaft rotates freely v'within its clutch; The ar'cuate rack |5' meshes with the forward pinion IB which is positively driven thereby and initurn drives the rear pinion ll.

The operator sits upon the saddle l|and rests his feet upon the steering` bar .mounted on the frame which carries axle 20 of-the forward steering wheel 2| ahdgrasps the hand grip |2 with his hands. In order to cause motion of the vehicle the operator alternately 'presses down on the hand grip and 'pulls up on the hand grip thereby causing the member III to oscillate about the pivot point |4. It Vwill be seen that in downward motion the large muscles of the abdomen, the muscles of the legs and'theimusclesof the arms and'sho-ulders all cooperate with the force of gravty acting on the body of the operatorto apply a relatively' great force to the hand grip. In upward motion the muscles of the legs, Shoulders and arms coloperate with the large muscles of the back to give a substantially equal force applied for driving. This effect cannot be obtained unless the pivot point of the device is positioned under or to the rear of the saddle while markedly good effects are obtained with a pivot point placed not substantially forward of that point in the saddleV Bestv where the hip bones contact the saddle.` results are achieved with a pivot placed approximately at the rear of the saddle.

As noted above positioning of the pivot point is a highly important feature in designing an occupant-driven vehicle of the present type for maximum speed; It is important, however, that careful attention be given to the matter of transmitting the power to the driving Wheels. Cranks and the like have points inthe rotation of the crank at which the power supplied has only a very low component of force available for forward driving. In large engines the effect of this feature can be largely overcome by the use of a fly wheel but in a child's toy vehicle I have found that the use of cranks is objectionable in that it does not permit application of the maximum force to the driving Wheels.

The drive mechanism shown here has been found to be peculiarly adapted to use in an occupant-propelled vehicle having a pivot point positioned in the manner noted above. Each of the pinions E6 and ll isv securely affixed to one of the sleeves l and lg, about the corresponding axle 22. A pin23 through the axle 22 is adapted to engage notches in the end of the sleeve which is urged toward the pin by a spring 24 on the opposite side of the pinion. i

' The rack and pinion type of drive and more particularly the arcuate rack shown here are admirably adapted to the present purpose. By using a double rack Operating on two pinions each of which is connected to the driving. Shaft by a suitable type of overrunning clutch I may avoid the use of a double axle if desired. It is to be understood that with a double rack operating on two pinions the teeth of the two members of the rack must mesh with the pinions on opposite sides of the shaft. Alternatively, the invention contemplates the use of a single rear driving wheel With a pinion on each side thereof and an arcuate rack on one side meshing With the forward side of one pinion-and an arcuate rack on the other side meshing With the rearward side of the other pinion. It will be apparent that the device may be modified in a large number of different ways by using mechanical expedients known to the prior art in place of the novel drive here shown. But in any event it is preferred that the transmission shall be so designed that positive drive will be given to the Wheels whenever the oscillating member IO is moved either up or down. It is also desirable that the device shall be adapted to 'fcoast" in sucha manner that oscillating 'member ID will not. be caused to operate by rotation of the driving Wheels.

Various other attachments may be added to the vehicle such as lights or suitable brakes and it is to= be understood that such modification is contemplated by the present invention. i

I claim: n

1. In an occupant propelled vehicle having a chassis and a forward Wheel-carrying steering axle pivotally connected to said chassis for transverse rotation with respect thereto and a rear Wheel-carrying driving axle mounted on said chassis an occupant supporting memberzmounted for oscillation in a vertical'plane about a pivot near the rear of said chassis,a hand gripv on the forward end of said oscillating member, a saddle `on the rear of said member adjacent to and forward of said pivot, and means operativelyconnecting said oscillating member and said driving axle to cause rotation of said driving axle upon movement of said oscillating member. i

2. In an occupant propelled vehicle having a chassis, a Wheel-carrying steering axle adapted to be operated by the feet on theforward end of said chassis, a pair of driving axles'on the rear 1 end of said chassis, azwheel on one end of one of said driving'axles, a wheel on the opposite end of the other of said driving axles, a.V pinion carried by'f'a sleeve about each of saidaxles, said pinions being in mesh with each other, a pin through each 'of said axles adjacent one end of n said sleeves, a spring mounted about each of said axles to force said sleeves toward said pins;

notches in the end of each of said sleeves adjacent each of saidpins shaped to catch said pin and drive said axle upon rotation of the pinion inV a directionito drive said axlefor forward motion and to overrun said pin upon rotation'of the pinion in the opposite direction, a member mounted on said chassis for oscillation in a vertical vplane about apivot, aha'nd grip on the forward. end of said'member and a saddle on the rearward end of said member, said saddle .being adjacent and forward of said pivot, and an arcui ate rack on a rearward extension of said member, said rack being meshed with the pinion on the forer'n'ost of said driving axles. v

3. In an occupant propelled vehicle having a chassis, a wheel-carrying steering axle onthe forward end of said chassis adapted to be operated by the feet,` a pair of driving axies on the' rear end ofl said chassis, a' wheel on one end of oneof said driving axles, a. wheel on the opposite end of the otherV of said driving 'ax1es,l a pinion mounted about each of said axles and operativelyfconnected thereto by an overrunning clutch adaptedto cause positive forward drive of each` of vsaidqaxlesiby the said pinion and permit. free rotation of said pinions in a reversedirection, said pinions being in mesh with each other, a member mounted on said chassis for oscillation in a verftical plane about a pivot, a hand grip on the for- Ward end of said member and a saddlev on the r'earward end of said member, said Asaddle being adjacent and' forward of said pivot, alndfan arcuate rack on a rearward extension of said member,vsaid rack being meshed with. the pinion on the foremost of said driving axles.

4. In an occupant propelledvel'n'cle, two e allel rear driving axles in the xsame horizontal plane, each of which ncarries a driving wheeLz said drivingwheels being on opposite sides of the vehicle, a pinion operativelyconnected to eaclrof` said driving axles by an overrunning clutch, said pinions being meshed, and means to impart reciprocating rotary motion. to the pinion on the foremost of said axles,rsaid overrunning clutches being adapted to transmit rotary motion to said 

